T-minus 1 week to 🇹🇷
Packing, some mountains, + a commission for a bride!
Currently writing you above Jasper National Park 35000 feet in the air ✈️
We’re on hour 9 of our 22 hour travel day to Bodrum, Turkey! 🇹🇷
My partner and I are going to a close friend’s wedding that is in Bodrum, and then traveling through Istanbul. By the time you read this, they’ll be married (congrats S+Z)!
Next letter will recap everything surrounding our Turkey trip, but for now, here’s a snapshot from the flight:
Stay tuned for *probably* the most interesting Substack letter yet the 19th (be sure to subscribe to get notified) but for now, let’s get into our preparation for this big trip:
3 months down the line
We’re back at the Oregon coast for a few days (shocker). First we picked up the high maintenance pup and Bruce and then headed to the coast to grab some stuff from our long-term storage.
We thought we had gathered everything we needed for Turkey after our last visit not so long ago, but we failed to think 3 months ahead aka the next time we’re close-ish to the coast. With it being the beginning of August we hadn’t thought about winter hobbies (skiing!) but that gear needs to come along for the holidays ⛷
While on the coast I restocked some jewelry at White Bird Gallery in Cannon Beach. It’s only been 2 weeks since installing the initial collection and I am in shock and awe over the incredibly positive response!
The remainder of our short time at the beach included blackberry picking and giving Bruce a bath —
To the mountains
With a little under a week until travel day, we decided to spend as much of that time in the mountains as possible. Between the Oregon Coast and Portland there aren’t a lot of options, so we ended up off a old forest road in the Tillamook forest 🌲
The pro of the site: a beautiful view. The cons: impossible to get level and a near-by clearing seemed to be a locals spot for shooting practice.
In the 3 days we spent here I attempted to decompress from the last few weeks in Seattle, schedule some emails + content for while we’re abroad, and finish up my wedding guest jewelry + a commission. I’d say I checked off 3/5 🤷🏼♀️ (the shooting range next door prevented the decompression and creating social media content ahead of time is like pulling teeth 🫠).
Portland!
First item on the todo list in Portland: drop off the commission! An artist + small business acquaintance (and now friend) of mine commissioned me to make a pair of threader earrings and a bolo tie necklace for her wedding! She wanted COLOR and so we made a “matching” set with ceramic stones from Molly Hueffed.
I have done several collections with Molly where she makes the ceramic stones in her artistic style, and I design the jewelry in mine! The result is a mix of simple, elegant, fun, and colorful design. These pieces are so fun to make and are truly one of a kind. I’m so honored to have made a set for this bride and I can’t wait to see the wedding photos!
The next item: haircut. It’s been an embarrassingly long amount of time since I last had a haircut (2 years 🤯)
I was able to snag a last minute appointment off Alberta street in north east Portland! I’d never been to this area of the city before and I have to say it is very cute. I did a bit of window shopping after the cut and found the boutique of my dreams. It’s called Tumbleweed, and I found *probably* my favorite pants ever. I ended up reaching out to the owner to see if they’d stock MEA, and they placed an order! So if you’re ever in the Portland area end of September on, go check out my work and see *basically* every item of clothing I would ever imagine styling MEA jewelry with ✨
Also, yes, I do love the haircut 👏🏼👏🏼
The final todos: target runs, last loads of laundry, final packing, and visiting with family. Dogs were also settled in, Bruce was cleaned, sheets were changed, fridge was emptied — all the typical todos to prepare for a long trip!
Next letter:
TURKEY 🇹🇷 All of the stories and photos to come from two weeks in Bodrum + Istanbul! Be sure to subscribe to be notified when the letter goes live —
A sneak peek:
As always, thanks for reading 💕
